A new study has found kids who learn how to kick, catch and throw are more likely to grow into active and fit teens. The finding carries an important message for schools and parents that it is not enough just to try to get kids more active - they need to be taught important

Today, the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) asked Texas Attorney General, Greg Abbott, why he is suing a local tanning salon owner for claiming that tanning provides vitamin D, when Vitamin D experts at the University of California Riverside are saying the same thing?

Anthony Norman, a distinguished professor emeritus of biochemistry and of biomedical sciences at UC Riverside, is co-leading a group of 18 researchers in a “call to action” recommending that the daily intake of vitamin D for adults be revised by the government to 2000 international units (IU). Currently, the recommended daily intake of vitamin D is 200 IU for people up to 50 years old; 400 IU for people 51 to 70 years old; and 600 IU for people over 70 years old.

According to a press release from the UC Riverside Newsroom, “Norman explained that a 2000 IU daily intake of vitamin D can be achieved by a combination of sunshine, food, supplements, and possibly even limited tanning exposure.”

New studies suggest that vitamin D, which is produced by the skin when exposed to UV light, protects against a number of cancers, including colon and breast cancer, and also decreases the risk of heart disease.

“In light of new and mounting scientific evidence concerning the possible heath benefits from exposure to UV light that stimulates vitamin D production in the body, Attorney General Abbot should rethink his case,” said ITA President Dan Humiston. “Laws denying tanning salon owners the ability to truthfully tout the benefits of vitamin D are outdated. Now that we know moderate exposure to UV light stimulates vitamin D production, there is no reason that we shouldn’t be able to make our customers aware of that fact.”

The Indoor Tanning Association represents thousands of indoor tanning manufacturers, distributors, facility owners and members from other support industries. The ITA promotes a responsible message about moderate tanning and sunburn prevention.

Three-quarters of youths with type 1 diabetes were found to have insufficient levels of vitamin D, according to a study by researchers at the Joslin Diabetes Center - findings that suggest children with the disease may need vitamin D supplementation to prevent bone fragility later in life. “To our surprise, we found extremely high rates

Vitamin D deficiency - which is traditionally associated with bone and muscle weakness - may also increase the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). A growing body of evidence links low 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels to common CVD risk factors such as hypertension, obesity and diabetes, as well as major cardiovascular events including stroke and congestive heart

In a paper available at the online site of the journal Biology of Reproduction, a team of UCLA researchers reports for the first time that vitamin D induces immune responses in placental tissues by stimulating production of the antimicrobial protein cathelicidin. The study involved exposing cultured human trophoblast cells to the active form of vitamin

Vitamin D is quickly becoming the “it” nutrient with health benefits for diseases, including cancer, osteoporosis, heart disease and now diabetes. A recent review article published by researchers from Loyola University Chicago Marcella Niehoff School of Nursing concluded that adequate intake of vitamin D may prevent or delay the onset of diabetes and reduce complications

Ultraviolet light may help relieve pain in fibromyalgia syndrome patients, according to a preliminary study at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center conducted by dermatology, rheumatology, and public health sciences researchers. A report on the study appears in the January issue of the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine. Steven R. Feldman, M.D., Ph.D.,